Clutching a photo of her daughter and her mother-in-law in a purple folder, Gail Thorne spoke to members of the media through tears Monday morning.
“I guess it’s time for us to start healing now,” she said. “Two-and-a-half years of battling the justice system and I’m just glad it’s over. We can probably finally start to heal now as a family and as a group.”
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Emotional courtroom as family, friends of Hannah Thorne speak
Minutes earlier, Thorne and her husband, Levi, watched as sheriff’s officers handcuffed Steven Ryan Mercer and escorted him to the lockup after a judge convicted him of drag racing causing death in connection with the highway crash that killed their 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, around suppertime on July 7, 2016.
“I choose to remember Hannah as a sweet, innocent child who had her life ahead of her,” Gail said, with Levi by her side and a group of Hannah’s friends standing nearby. “She loved life, she was a happy child. She loved everybody; she had lots of friends.
“She was too innocent to have this happen to her, and my mother-in-law as well. They were both very good people.”
Hannah was a passenger in a Hyundai Accent driven by her grandmother, Gertie Thorne, when the car was struck by a Ford F-150 truck on the New Harbour Barrens. Hannah died instantly; Gertie spent two months in hospital recovering from serious injuries. She passed away earlier this year, age 83.
“It was very hard on her,” Gail said of Gertie. “She had a lot to live with after the collision. Lots of trauma. It’s not easy seeing your granddaughter die. She held (Hannah’s) hand when she knew Hannah was gone.”
The driver of the F-150 was Brian King, who eventually pleaded guilty to charges of street racing causing death and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. He was sentenced to four years’ time served and prohibited from driving for eight years.
Witnesses told police they had seen the F-150 speeding shortly before the crash, racing a blue Chevy Cobalt. One witness had a possible plate number for the Cobalt, which led police to Mercer.
Mercer, now 32, told police he had not been racing, had nothing to do with the accident, and had “only been driving like everyone else.” During his trial, defence lawyer Randy Piercey argued the case centred on an issue of identity, since the evidence against Mercer was largely circumstantial and the crash could have been caused by another driver in a similar vehicle.
Justice William Goodridge rejected that idea, finding Mercer guilty of criminal negligence while street racing causing death, criminal negligence while street racing causing bodily harm, and breaching court orders. Two other charges against Mercer were stayed.
Mercer showed “a wanton and reckless disregard for the safety of other persons and created an extremely high-risk factor for the exact event that occurred, namely a fatal head-on collision,” Goodridge said. Although Mercer’s vehicle wasn’t directly involved in the fatal crash, he is “equally culpable,” the judge said.
“Your criminal negligence while engaged in street racing with Mr. King was a significant and direct cause of the collision,” Goodridge told Mercer.
Mercer will be back in court Friday for a sentencing hearing. In the meantime, the Thorne family said they aren’t hopeful he’ll get the sentence they feel he deserves.
“What I’m hoping for is not reality,” Gail Thorne told reporters. “All we can hope for is what Mr. King was given: a slap on the wrist. Nine months and he’ll be walking, as King is.”
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